Iranian officials met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Monday, who condemned America’s attack on three Iranian uranium enrichment facilities as unprovoked act of aggression. Meanwhile, a high-ranking Russian official suggested Iran may get nuclear weapons from other countries.
Also on Monday, Iran launched missiles at the largest American military base in the Middle East, in Qatar, in a deescalatory attempt to save face after the United States’ strike on Saturday. Iranian officials provided advance notice of the attacks, and the missiles did not kill anyone. The missiles were designed to preserve national pride without triggering American retaliation. President Donald Trump thanked the Iranians for providing advance notice.
Meanwhile, Israel cast another round of attacks on Tehran. A military spokesman said Israel hit Iran’s Evin prison, where political dissidents are kept. Israel also struck entry routes to the Fordow nuclear enrichment facility, which the United States bombed on Saturday. Fordow is tucked inside a mountain, and Israel had been trying to persuade Trump to drop American bunker-busting bombs on it for many months before it finally happened. The Trump administration hailed the strikes a success, but Iranian officials said the hit on Fordow only damaged the entrance tunnel, and that they had already removed important equipment. Israel’s follow-up suggests the Iranians might be telling the truth about that.
Saturday’s strikes catapulted the United States directly into Israel’s war. The Israelis had been talking about taking out Iran’s nuclear sites for decades. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been warning about the burgeoning Iranian threat since the 1990s. But, according to reports, they also wanted the United States to be central to their attacks. On Saturday, they got their wish, at least in part — and at least for now,
After the strikes, on Sunday, Iran’s parliament voted to consider closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas flow. The ultimate decision would be made by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Such a move would not only send oil prices soaring across the globe, but it wouldn’t do Iran any favors, either. Along with gas exports, oil makes up 60 percent of the country’s government revenues. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a CBS appearance that closing the Strait would be “a suicidal move on their part.”
Closing the Strait of Hormuz, or attempting to, would likely trigger more U.S. intervention. Representative Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General, told Newsmax that any such move would lead to a veto by “military assets,” a political way of saying that America would launch more military attacks. According to Bergman, “Our subsurface and our air assets are on station right now, and they’re going to be utilized as necessary to ensure that the straits stay open.” Bergman is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and chair of the Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee. Rubio also suggested that such a decision would prompt military action. He told Fox News Sunday morning:
If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It’s economic suicide for them if they do it. And we retain options to deal with that. But other countries should be looking at that as well. It would hurt other countries’ economies a lot worse than ours. It would be, I think, a massive escalation that would merit a response, not just by us, but from others.
It also remains to be seen what effect these strikes will have on Trump’s efforts to thaw relations with Russia. Unlike the previous president, Trump has held several talks with Putin in an effort to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. That’s on top of additional talks between United States and Russian officials. Trump has also dialed back military support and stopped sending billions to prop up Ukraine’s military and government. By all appearances, Trump has done more to end that war than his predecessor. But Saturday’s strikes on Iran rubbed the Russians the wrong way.
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Putin. Putin decried the strikes and made clear Russia stood with its Iranian ally. He said, “This is an absolutely unprovoked act of aggression against Iran; it has no basis or justification.” Putin called American and Israeli actions “illegitimate.”
Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Russians are ready to help meet Iran’s needs. He said:
It all depends on what Iran needs. We have offered our mediation efforts. This is concrete. We have stated our position, which is also a very important form of support for the Iranian side. Going forward, everything will depend on what Iran needs at this moment.
Peskov was asked if Russia would arm Iran. He replied, “Everything depends on what the Iranian side, what our Iranian friends say.”
Former Russian president and the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, floated the idea that America’s attack could yield the opposite results it was trying to prevent. In a Telegram post titled “What have the Americans accomplished with their nighttime strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran?” Medvedev made the following points:
The enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue. A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads.… The vast majority of countries around the world oppose the actions of Israel and the United States. At this rate, Trump can forget about the Nobel Peace Prize — not even with how rigged it has become. What a way to kick things off, Mr. President. Congratulations!
When Trump heard about Medvedev’s comments, he hit back in a Truth Social post. He said:
Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the “N word” (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran? Did he really say that or, is it just a figment of my imagination? If he did say that, and, if confirmed, please let me know, IMMEDIATELY. The “N word” should not be treated so casually. I guess that’s why Putin’s “THE BOSS.” By the way, if anyone thinks our “hardware” was great over the weekend, far and away the strongest and best equipment we have, 20 years advanced over the pack, is our Nuclear Submarines. They are the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built, and just launched the 30 Tomahawks — All 30 hit their mark perfectly. So, in addition to our Great Fighter Pilots, thank you to the Captain and Crew!
Medvedev responded to Trump by saying Russia did not intend to give Iran nuclear weapons while throwing in a jab at Israel, who is known to have a stealth nuclear program. Medvedev said:
Russia has no intention of supplying nuclear weapons to Iran because, unlike Israel, we are parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. But other countries might – and that’s what was said.
Trump’s decision to attack Iran has also ignited disapproval at home, among those in his own party.
At the top of the list of Trump’s critics is Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). Last week, he introduced the War Powers Resolution, which would block the president from taking unilateral military action such as the kind he took Saturday.
After Saturday’s strikes, Massie responded with a tweet calling Trump’s decision to bomb Iran unconstitutional. On Sunday, Trump went after him on a Truth Social post. He said Massie is not MAGA, presumably an attempt to dispel the growing view that Massie is more MAGA than Trump. Trump also called Kentucky’s “Mr. No” “weak and ineffective” before labeling him Rand Paul, Jr. because he votes against “virtually everything,” including the massive spending bill that Trump tried to dress up as “beautiful.”
Massie responded to Trump’s attack with a tweet saying, “Donald Trump declared so much War on me today it should require an Act of Congress.”
Trump’s battle with Massie may go beyond words. A report from Axios says Trump just launched a super PAC to get Massie ousted from Congress.
Trump has also upset Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who’s come to regret her vote for Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill. On Monday, Greene posted a statement echoing the disapproval of many in the MAGA camp. She said, in part:
I spent millions of my own money and TRAVELED THE ENTIRE COUNTRY campaigning for President Trump and his MAGA agenda and his promises. And Trump’s MAGA agenda included these key promises: NO MORE FOREIGN WARS. NO MORE REGIME CHANGE. WORLD PEACE. And THIS is what the people voted for. Only 6 months in and we are back into foreign wars, regime change, and world war 3. It feels like a complete bait and switch to please the neocons, warmongers, military industrial complex contracts, and neocon tv personalities that MAGA hates and who were NEVER TRUMPERS!
The dissatisfaction within the MAGA world is growing. Massie and MTG are just the tip of the iceberg. Trump’s foreign intervention has also upset other high-profile supporters, among them Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, Matt Gaetz, Dave Smith, Steve Bannon, and Charlie Kirk. Perhaps the commentators suggesting the Deep State’s goal to break MAGA apart by fooling Trump into attacking Iran are correct in their assessment.